Attachment for an electric cord of the like



A ril 27, 1965 J. D. SEAL ATTACHMENT FOR AN ELECTRIC CORD OR THE LIKE Filed March 5, 1964 INVENTOR. JOHN D. SEAL BY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,179,991 ATTACHMENT FOR AN ELECTRIC CGRD OF THE LIKE John D. Seal, Waukesha, Wis., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 5, 1964, Ser. No. 349,685 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-73) This invention pertains to a device for attaching an electric cord or other tubular element to another object. A typical use of the invention is for attaching a tube or cord to the bedclothes of a hospitalpatient.

It is often desirable to have within reach of the occupant of a hospital bed such appliances as nurse-call switches, remote radio and television control switches, pillow speakers and treatment devices that are connected by means of a cord or tube to a station adjacent the patients bed. Most convenient access to such an appliance is obtained if it is anchored on-the bedclothing at the side of the patient in a region between his shoulders and hips. This allows the patient to grasp the appliance comfortably by extending his arms in a' generally downward direction instead of conducting an overhead search as is necessary when the appliance is held in a bracketor when it merely dangles on the headboard of the bed.

It is not desirable'to attach the appliance directly to the bed because its detachament would be necessary ordinarily for the patient to use it. It is advantageous to attach the cord to the bedclothing at a point that is adjustable along the cord and that is away from the appliance. This allows some freedom of movement for the appliance on the flexible cord without disconnecting the cord from the bedclothes.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for attaching a cord or tubular member to bedclothes and the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide an attachment device that grips a flexible cord firmly enough to hold an appliance in place on a bed and which is, nevertheless, easily adjusted along the cord. This object is achieved by effecting a resilient frictional engagement between the cord grip and the captured cord so that abrasion of the cord is avoided during adjustment and there is no concentrated compressive force to deform or overstress the cord as is the case with prior art attaching devices that employ a clamping action.

More specific objects are to provide a cord attachment device that is simple to make, inexpensive, and easy to use and that minimizes wear and tear on the bedclothing to which it is engaged.

Other more specific objects and advantages will appear throughout the course of the ensuing specification. A more detailed description of the invention will now be set forth in reference to the drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a partly broken away bed on which a pillow speaker is secured by means of the new cord attachment device;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal cross-section of the attaching device taken on a line corresponding with 2-2 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 3 is a front end view of the new cord attachment; and,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a cover to show its configuration before it is assembled in the cord attachment device shown in the previous figures.

In FIGURE 1 there is shown a bed 10, partly broken away, on which there is the usual fabric bedclothing 11. On top of the bedclothes is a combined speaker nurse call and entertainment control appliance 12 which it is desired to constrain in a position that is within reach of the occupant of the bed. Appliance 12 has a flexible 3,179,991 Patented Apr; 27, 1965 multiconductor electric cord 13 running from it to a wall outlet, not shown. The cord 13 is engaged by the new attachment device, generally designated by the reference numeral 15, which has seized a bunched up portion 16 of the top layer of bedclothes 11.

In FIGURE 2 it may be seen that the new cord attachment comprises a known type of metallic clip having a flat base 17 and a spring biased arm 18 each of which terminate in right angle bends that constitute jaws between which fabric 11 may be gripped. Arm 18 pivots on a pin 19 which is surrounded by a torsion spring that is not shown. The jaw on arm 18 overbites the jaw on base 17. This allows a bunch of the fabric to be trapped and effects a secure engagement without having the jaws bite through the fabric as would be the case if they were serrated and without overbite as in a battery clip. Other clips may be substituted for the one here shown. As safety pin would serve if the user does not consider puncturing the fabric objectionable.

For the purpose of coupling the clip with insulated cord 13 there is provided a pliable plastic cover 20 which is shown in cross-section and connected with the clip in FIGURE 2 by means of an oval head screw 21 and a speed nut 22. Also provided is a nickel-plated finish washer 23.

The cover 20 is shown in FIGURE 4 before it is assembled with the clip. This cover is preferably made of a polyvinyl plastic but other pliable materials such as polyethyleneand rubber may be substituted. The cover is made from a tube and comprises a tubular portion 24 which is formed with an integral bail extension 25 by cutting away part of the tube wall as shown. Bail 25 is arcuate in cross-section and has a hole 26 near its free end. There is also a hole 27 in tubular part 24. Holes 26 and 27 may be superposed by bending the end of bail 25 counterclockwise as shown in FIGURE 4 so as to enable passage of screw 21 through both of the holes 26 and 27 as in FIGURE 2. In FIGURE 4, the wall of the cover is curved like a fillet in the region bearing the reference numeral 28. It is desirable that the radius of the fillet 28 be essentially the same as the radius of the cord 13 which is encompassed by the bail. Thus, it is seen in FIGURE 2 that cord 13 is snugly surrounded by the cover to effect a frictional grip between these two elements when bail 25 is brought around and the screw 21 is inserted. This allows a patient or attendant to grasp cord 13 and slide the cord in the attachment or vice versa. The friction is great enough, however, so that the weight of appliance 12 will not change the adjustment of the attachment on the cord if the appliance slips over the side of the bed toward the floor.

By way of example, a commercial embodiment of the invention employs a cover 20 made of vinyl tubing having an inside diameter of one-half inch and a one-sixteenth inch wall thickness. It is obtainable from various manufacturers of plastic tubing. For use with a one-quarter inch outside diameter cord 13, which may also be vinyl coated, the fillet 28 radius is made one-eighth inch. Before folding bail 25 to partially overlay the tubular part 24 of the cover, the overall length of the cover is about two and five-eighths inches.

Holes 26 and 27 are not obligatory and the cover 20 may be imperforate before assembly if, for example, one elects to use a self-tapping screw in place of machine screw 21. In addition, cover 20 may be wholly tubular at the expense of some esthetic quality if one merely notches the side wall of the tube in order to provide a recess for the cord when the free end is folded around.

When it is desired to capture some of the bedclothing 11 between the jaws of clip parts 17 and 18 the jaws may be opened by merely pressing on opposite sides of tubular portion 27 of the cover to thereby pivot clip jaw 18. When some of the bedclothing is captured and the appliance is in a convenient position, the compressive force is relieved by removal of the operators fingers from the tubular portion 24 in which case the jaws close and a secure anchorage is obtained. a

In summary, there has been described a means for attaching a cord or any tubular member to a patients bedclothing. The attachment is readily adjustable by sliding it along the cord and because of the nature and configuration of the material no abrasion is perceptible after extended use. Locating the new attachment in any desired position may be accomplished without separating any par or even turning any screws.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, such description is to be considered illustrative rather than limiting, for the invention may be variously embodied and is to be limited only by the scope of the claims which follow.

It is claimed:

1. An article of manufacture for attaching a cord to a fabric comprising:

(a) a clip including a base with a fabric engaging jaw at its end,

(b) a spring biased arm that is pivoted on the base and has a jaw end that is pressed toward the first named J (c) a pliable cover comprising a tube having a bail part that is formed with afree end by removal of a lengthwise portion of the tube wall,

(d) the remaining tubular part of said cover surrounding the clip with its jaw ends projecting from the tube,

(e) the free end of said bail being adapted for overlaying the tubular part to thereby form a cord encompassing bail, and

(f) fastener means that secure the clip base, tubular part and free end together.

2. An article of manufacture for attaching an elongate flexible element to a fabric comprising:

(a) a clip means for engaging a fabric,

(b) a pliable cover means at least a part of which is tubular for surrounding a part of the clip means and another part of which is formed into a bail that is integral with said tubular part for encompassing an elongated element,

(c) said tubular part having a region adjacent the bail portion that may be perforated and the latter having a region near its end that may be perforated,

(d) fastener means extending through said region and said clip means when they are coincident with each other,

(2) whereby a closed bail may be formed for encompassing an elongate flexible element for slideable adjustment thereon.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 556,209 3/96 Quinn 24-3 804,905 11/05 Weaver. 1,096,699 5/ 14 Elkin. 2,701,883 2/55 De Fazio 5-320 X 2,738,561 3/56 Trilling et al. 24230.l

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner. 

2. AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE FOR ATTACHING AN ELONGATE FLEXIBLE ELEMENT TO A FABRIC COMPRISING: (A) A CLIP MEANS FOR ENGAGING A FABRIC, (B) A PLIABLE COVER MEANS AT LEAST A PART OF WHICH IS TUBULAR FOR SURROUNDING A PART OF THE CLIP MEANS AND ANOTHER PART OF WHICH IS FORMED INTO A BAIL THAT IS INTEGRAL WITH SAID TUBULAR PART FOR ENCOMPASSING AN ELONGATED ELEMENT, (C) SAID TUBULAR PART HAVING A REGION ADJACENT THE BAIL PORTION THAT MAY BE PERFORATED AND THE LATTER HAVING A REGION NEAR ITS END THAT MAY BE PERFORATED, (D) FASTENER MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID REGION AND SAID CLIP MEANS WHEN THEY ARE COINCIDENT WITH EACH OTHER, (E) WHEREBY A CLOSED BAIL MAY BE FORMED FOR ENCOMPASSING AN ELONGATE FLEXIBLE ELEMENT FOR SLIDABLE ADJUSTMENT THEREON. 